Summertime Fresh Veggie Pasta

Summertime is such an amazing time of year for food...especially healthy food. Fresh fruits and veggies can be found at local farmer's markets, supermarkets and even your own garden.

I try to make a point to purchase fresh local produce each time I go to the store. From there I can create meals incorporating these as often as possible.

The other night I was running behind and had made a veggie tray the day before. There were sliced bell peppers and fresh snap peas left over. In my fridge I had a couple zucchini, onion and garlic. The result was so yummy...here's the recipe.

Fresh Veggie Pasta

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

• 1-2 red, orange, and/or yellow bell peppers, sliced
• 1 cup snap peas
• 1 medium onion diced
• 2 zucchini sliced about 1/4 inch thick
• 3-4 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 22 ounces dried pasta (any thick pasta will work great - egg noodles, bowtie, etc)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

1. Cook noodles according to directions until al dente.
2. Once drained, toss a little olive oil and salt to coat.
3. Melt butter in saucepan till it starts to almost brown.
4. Add all veggies and cook till slightly tender (about 7 to 10 minutes). Salt and pepper to taste.
5. Pour veggie mixture into pasta and toss.

You can serve it with some Parmesan on top and a fresh fruit medley on the side. Yum.

Shera is mom to six very active boys (14, 12, 10, 6, 4 and 4) and when she's not chasing after them, or in the kitchen cooking for them, she's usually hanging out at her blog A Frog In My Soup.